Dozens of striking Marriott hotel workers arrested including union presidents

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - Union officials said 41 Marriott hotel workers were arrested this evening in San Francisco as they rallied for changes from their employer such as higher wages so they can work just one job. 

At about 5:30 p.m. workers were sitting on Fourth Street outside the Marriott Marquis hotel to call attention to their demands, according to officials with Unite Here Local 2, which represents at least some of the workers.

Almost 3,000 Bay Area Marriott employees went on strike last week to demand better pay, better worker safety and job security. 

Some workers took to Twitter today, "My job @Marriott is not enough to pay the rent," Candida Kevorkian, a housekeeper at the Westin St. Francis, said. "I share my apartment with three generations of my family. I took arrest for the same reason I went on strike--#1job should be enough for 
hotel workers like me." 

San Francisco police did not immediately respond to a request to confirm the arrest numbers. 

More than 1,000 hotel workers took to the streets of San Francisco this afternoon ahead of the civil disobedience. 

Union officials said Unite Here Local 2 president Anand Singh and Unite Here Local 2850 president Wei-Ling Huber were among the people arrested. 

They and the 39 others were arrested when they refused to move so traffic could pass. 

In a statement, Singh said, "Months of bargaining with Marriott got us nowhere close to a livable income, safe workloads, or job security, and we're not backing down."

Singh said workers are going to strike until they need to work only one job "while working for the richest hotel company on Earth." 

Hotel workers are striking at seven San Francisco Marriott hotels, including some that do not have Marriott in their name. 

Marriott officials were not immediately available to comment. 
       

Wire services contributed to this report